Blog Series: Why Do Old Places Matter?

In 2013 Tom Mayes, the deputy general counsel at the National Trust for Historic preservation, was selected as a winner of the Rome Prize, which is awarded to about 30 emerging artists and scholars who represent the highest standard of excellence. A life-long preservationist, Mayes is the principal lawyer for legal matters relating to the National Trust’s 27 historic sites and for historic property real estate transactions, and has expertise in architectural and technical preservation issues, collections management, preservation easements, the Americans with Disabilities Act and historic shipwrecks.

When he isn’t working on legal complexities, Mayes has been considering the role historic places play in everyday life. This prestigious award sent Mayes to Rome on a six-month tour of discovery where he sought to answer the question: Why Do Old Places Matter? In the year since Mayes has produced a series of blog posts with his answers, and in the Spring of 2015 edited an issue of Forum Journal (download your copy below), that will look at this question from a variety of other perspectives.

Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals, students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth preservation resources and training.

Spring 2015 Forum Journal - Why Do Old Places Matter?

For the spring issue of the Forum Journal, Tom Mayes, author of the recent blog series “Why Do Old Places Matter?” asked scholars from other disciplines to consider why old places matter. Their perceptive articles will inspire you to reflect anew about why we work to save old places. From Max Page’s article “Why We Need Bad Places” to Eric Nathan’s thoughtful comments on creativity and old places, this journal will encourage you to think and talk with others about why old places matter to you.

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The Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals,
students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest
ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth
preservation resources and training.